After 10 years at United, CEO Scott Kirby is thinking big about the future of his airline from JFK to AI

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby speaks during a media event showcasing the airline's new premium "Elevated" aircraft interior at Los Angeles International Airport, March 24, 2026.Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty ImagesNEWARK, New Jersey — Scott Kirby says he doesn't believe in revenge."Everyone thinks I do, but no, I don't," said the United Airlines CEO, whom American Airlines fired 10 years ago, when he was president of that carrier. "I compete aggressively." United announced it had hired him as president on Aug. 29, 2016, a blink after American disclosed his departure. Now, Kirby is running the second-most profitable U.S. airline after Delta Air Lines. And his former employer, American, is a distant third of the big, more-than-century-old, U.S. carriers, though it's working to ramp up revenue through a host of upgrades, including bringing back seatback screens.Kirby floated the idea of megamergers with both Delta and American in the past year, combinations that would bring together some of the biggest airlines in the world. He's so far been rebuffed, and antitrust experts were skeptical about the possibility.He's thinking bigger than he has before as the industry faces ever-higher...